Graduate Audition Requirements

Jazz Studies

A tape or live audition is required. The applicant must demonstrate advanced proficiency in improvisation. The audition should include the following styles: bebop, swing, ballad, contemporary, and latin. The evaluation will take into consideration the applicant’s background, interests and education. Should there be any deficiencies, the applicant will be required to take remedial courses which may not count towards the degree.

Perform melody and improvise a bass part on 4 jazz compositions in contrasting styles (Latin, bebop, ballad, contemporary, swing). Bebop and swing selections should be performed in a walking bass line style (four quarter notes per measure)

It is strongly advised to bring an accompanist or a play-along CD or MP3 player

Orchestral Performance

Brass

Trumpet

TECHNICAL

One of the following:

Alexander Arutunian: Concerto for Trumpet to letter L

Theo Charlier: Etude No. 2 from 36 Ètudes Transcendantes

Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, I-Mit kraft

Arthur Honegger: Intrada

Kent Kennan: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, I-With strength and vigor

LYRICAL

One of the following:

Joseph Haydn: Concerto for Trumpet in Eb Major II-Andante*

Johann Baptist Georg Neruda: Concerto for Trumpet II-Largo*

*performance on Eb trumpet is not required, but suggested

5 CONTRASTING EXCERPTS from the standard orchestral repertoire

Horn

Applicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

Tenor Trombone

One movements from two different standard concertos or sonatas: (Repertoire suggested, but not limited to)

Grondahl – Concerto

Lars-Erik Larsson – Concertino

Casterede – Sonatine

Ewazen – Sonata

Hindemith – Sonatae

Martin – Ballade

AND

Three standard orchestral excerpts: (Excerpts suggested, but not limited to)

Berlioz – Hungarian March or Symphonie Fantastique

Mahler – Symphony No. 3 or No. 5

Mozart – Tuba Mirum

Ravel – Bolero

Rossini – William Tell

Schumann- Symphony No. 3

Wagner – Die Valkyrie

Bass Trombone

One movements from two different standard concertos or sonatas: (Repertoire suggested, but not limited to)

Bach – Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 5

Bozza – New Orleans

Ewazen – Concerto or Capriccio

Lebedev – Concerto in One Movement

Siekman – Concerto

Spillman – Concerto

AND

Three standard orchestral excerpts: (Excerpts suggested, but not limited to)

Berlioz – Hungarian March

Haydn – Creation

Kodaly – Hary Janos

Respighi – Fountains of Rome

Rossini – William Tell

Schumann – Symphony No. 3

Wagner – Die Valkyrie

Euphonium

Applicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

Tuba

One movement from two different standard concertos or sonatas (Vaughan-Williams, Gregson, Ewazen or any similar works)

Percussion

Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Percussion Performance at Georgia State University are to demonstrate graduate-level competency in the four primary areas of concert percussion (snare drum, mallets, timpani, and multi-percussion) through an in-person or video-recorded audition. The candidate has flexibility in the specific repertoire choices, however, they should include solos and/or technical etudes as well as orchestral excerpts that best showcase their musical and technical level and reflect their professional interests. The majority of audition repertoire should be from the established percussion canon and must be approved in advance by the GSU Percussion Coordinator. The candidate is encouraged to contact Professor Stuart Gerber (swgerber@gsu.edu) as early as possible to discuss their proposed repertoire and the audition process.

Strings

ViolinApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

ViolaApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.An etude of moderate difficulty by Rode, Kreutzer, Fuchs, etc.

First movement from a major 20th-century concerto, with cadenza if applicable.

First movement of a Brahms sonata, or the first movement from Sonata of similar difficulty, or a short piece of similar difficulty.

Two movements from a Bach Suite

CelloApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

An etude of moderate difficulty by Popper, Duport, Dotzauer, etc.

Two of the following:A movement from the Bach Suites

A movement of a sonata or a short piece such as those by Brahms, Fauré, Sammartini, Schumann or Beethoven

A movement from a concerto such as those by Haydn, Saint-Saëns, Boccherini or Lalo

Double BassApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

Koussevitsky Concerto 1st movement

One movement from a Bach Cello Suite

Recitative from Beethoven Symphony No.9

Bass solo from 2nd movement of Mahler Symphony No.1

Excerpts from Mozart Symphony No.35

HarpApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

Woodwind

Oboe30 minutes of music including at least one movement from a standard concerto, a piece written in the 20th or 21st century, a fast and slow Ferling etude, and two orchestral excerpts

FluteTwo contrasting movements from a Baroque work

Movements one and two of the Mozart Concerto in G Major, K. 313 OR the Concerto in D Major, K. 314 (both movements with cadenza)

A work from the 20th or 21st Century (you may choose to play only one movement from a composition with multiple movements)

Two contrasting orchestral excerpts

Sight-reading

ClarinetApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes. The audition should include works from at least three historical style periods (transcriptions are acceptable). The applicant will be expected to exhibit tonal and range potential demanded in the performance of standard instrumental repertory, accurate intonation and execution of rhythm, and knowledge of clefs and/or transpositions essential to the reading of instrumental literature.

BassoonTwo contrasting movements from a Baroque Concerto or Sonata

First Two Movements of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto, K191, with cadenzas

One Milde Etude or Concert Study

Orchestral Excerpts:

Mozart: Marriage of Figaro

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, Mvt. 2

Ravel: Bolero

SaxophoneApplicants should prepare an audition program of approximately 30 minutes of music including:

Piano Pedagogy

All Masters and Performance Certificate applicants should prepare from memory contrasting works from different styles and periods listed below. Applicants must also submit a repertoire list of works performed or studied up to the time of application to Georgia State University School of Music.

a)one Baroque work (such as a Prelude and Fugue by Bach)

b)one Classical work (such as those by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven)

c)one Romantic major work or group of works (such as those by Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms or Rachmaninoff), and/or one Modern work or group of works (such as those by Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Prokofiev, etc.)

Applicants wishing to be considered for an assistantship should be prepared to perform short sight-reading excerpts assigned at the audition.

Piano Performance

All Masters and Performance Certificate applicants should prepare from memory contrasting works from different styles and periods listed below. Applicants must also submit a repertoire list of works performed or studied up to the time of application to Georgia State University School of Music.

a)one Baroque work (such as a Prelude and Fugue by Bach)

b)one Classical work (such as those by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven)

c)one Romantic major work or group of works (such as those by Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms or Rachmaninoff)

d)one Modern work or group of works (such as those by Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Prokofiev, etc.)

Applicants wishing to be considered for an assistantship should be prepared to perform short sight-reading excerpts assigned at the audition.

Vocal Performance

An audition program of twenty minutes by memory is required. Repertoire should represent three or four historical periods and include art songs, opera and/or oratorio, and at least three of the following languages: Italian, German, French, English, Spanish, and Russian. An accompanist will be provided. No taped or CD accompaniments, please. A repertoire list and recital program/s from student’s undergraduate institution should be submitted at the audition. Theory and history placement exams will be given once accepted into the School of Music. Diction exams will also be administered. These will include both written and oral exams.